Flying London to Singapore in Emirates Business Class
One of the perks of booking Emirates business class is the included chauffeur service and although this only covers a 50 mile radius from Stansted airport (where we were flying from this time) we decide it was worth paying the extra mileage to enjoy this perk. Conveniently the car company called us up the day before our flight and we were able to pay the difference over the phone prior to our journey. On the day of our journey we received a text to let us know our driver was on his way and he arrived 10 minutes early. He was very accommodating, making sure we didn’t feel hurried and we set off at our allocated time. After a very stress free journey to the airport he dropped us off giving us clear directions to the Emirates check in. We quickly checked in and made our way through the fast track security gate which is part of your business class fare. On this occasion we were very grateful for this as the lines for security were huge and we got through relatively quickly.
Once through security we made our way to the only business lounge in Stansted airport, the Escape lounge. Whilst this may not live up to the usual standard of a business lounge, the staff here were very friendly and accommodating and it was nice to be away from the melee out in the main airport waiting areas. Emirates have obviously come to an arrangement with the lounge to provide their customers with a more exclusive experience by taking over the most secluded and comfortable area within the lounge and allocating a member of staff to specifically look after Emirates guests. Upon arrival guests are shown to this area and offered a glass of champagne (or any other drink from the bar that they might prefer). In the lounge there is a small range of hot and cold food on offer and an open bar, though the Emirates allocated staff will keep your champagne glass topped up if that is what you prefer.
Before we knew it it was time to board our flight for the first leg of tour journey from London to Dubai. We were one of the first to board the Boeing 777 which has a 2-3-2 seat configuration in business class. As we were quite late booking we had two of the middle row of seats which meant that I was sandwiched in the middle seat and Rich had the aisle seat. This wasn’t a big problem as I could ask Rich it move if I needed to get out and it actually meant I was disturbed very little by the movements along the aisle.
No sooner had we settled ourselves in than we were given a glass of Veuve Cliquot to enjoy as we waited for take off. Take off was smooth and we were soon underway, enjoying the on board entertainment on the very large screens in front of us. Unfortunately we hadn’t been up in the air long and we hit a large patch of turbulence which meant our food service was delayed (thankfully I had eaten something in the lounge at Stansted). When they eventually managed to bring our pre-dinner cocktail and food I was beyond tired and really couldn’t manage very much, though the meze starter was amazing and the beef main was delicious even if I only managed a couple of mouthfulls. Unfortunately I couldn’t manage dessert as my eyes just wouldn’t stay open long enough to eat it.
On this flight we were given a rather handy gender specific amenities kit which included things like a dental pack, Bvlgari face and hand creams, eau de toilette, a hairbrush, tissues and a refreshing towel. When it was time to sleep the cabin crew came with a mattress to put on top of your seat to make it more comfortable, and the light duvet they give you is really rather nice to wrap yourself up in. Being able to lay out and having plenty of room to stretch out is the biggest advantage of business class and it did mean we managed to get a little bit of sleep, even though the turbulence was trying to stop us. On the 777 the seats do recline all the way, though the footwell is triangular shaped making it difficult to lay out and get comfortable. I found that raising the seat a little gave a more comfortable sleeping position.
About 45 minutes before landing an announcement was made to wake us all up and prepare us for the descent. As this leg of our flight was only just over 7 hours long no food was offered, but obviously you are able to call the cabin crew at any time and ask for drinks or snacks. Just before landing another announcement was made to explain where passengers had to go once off the plane. We were off the plane quickly and boarded onto a luxurious coach which would transport us to the terminal building. Another advantage of business class is if you need to transfer by coach you do get a lovely air conditioned coach with plenty of spacious seating so no standing crushed together for a bumpy, wobbly drive to the airport!
Once in the terminal building we made our way quickly through Dubai airport connections security which had no queue meaning we were soon in the Emirates business lounge. We ended up in the B terminal lounge as we weren’t sure where we were going (they aren’t particularly well signposted) but in hindsight we should have gone to the C terminal lounge as this was where our gate was. Anyway, from our understanding they are all pretty much the same, all being very large with plenty of different seating options, bars and food. I don’t know whether it was because I was tired or my expectations were too high but I actually didn’t enjoy this experience as much as I thought I would. I thought the lounge was just too big, impersonal and disorientating. There were plenty of different types of food on offer, Mediterranean, Asian, pastries etc but it took ages to walk round and find the one you wanted and by the time we got there we only really had an hour or so before boarding our next flight.
With my body clock messed up I really struggled to enjoy the offerings of the lounge and only managed a couple of cups of coffee and some sweet Middle Eastern pastries before we made our way to our boarding gate for the next flight to Singapore. This time we were flying on an Airbus A380 so when we boarded we took the upstairs walkway to the top deck of the plane. The A380 is a 1-2-1 configuration so again we chose the two seats in the middle so we could sit next to each other. It was nice this time that we were able to lower the dividing wall so we could actually see and speak to each other throughout the flight. The seats again recline to a fully flat position but this time the footwell area was enormous meaning you really could lay out flat. Also with the seat slightly reclined the foot rest inclined a little too making the sitting position very relaxing too.
What we also love about business class is having an overhead locker all to yourself so you don’t have to worry about squeezing all of hand luggage in with someone else’s. We settled ourselves in and were given another glass of sparkly, this time Moet and Chandon. Take off was smooth and we were soon in the air. We were immediately bought the food and wine menus even though it was only mid morning. Snacks of hot nuts came round, a cocktail was ordered (the breakfast cocktail went down a treat) and our food order was taken ready for lunchtime. I started with a delicious carrot soup, followed by a succulent piece of beef tenderloin and mashed potato, all accompanied with a lovely cold glass of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon blanc.
After lunch it was time to settle down to a movie or two. The entertainment screen on the A380 is a little smaller than the 777 but it is closer to the seat making it easier to see. Not long after lunch the window blinds went down, the mattresses came out and people settled down for a sleep. What’s great about the A380 is the bar at the back of the plane, so if you don’t want to sleep you can get up and wander to the bar to get a drink and chat with fellow passengers. The seats round the bar even have seatbelts so you can stay there if turbulence hits (though there are only 6 of these so capacity is limited).
I have to say that I found sleeping on this leg of the journey much easier than the night flight from London to Dubai. Whether it was the more comfortable seat, the less turbulent journey or the increased tiredness I don’t know but I definitely got a couple of good hours sleep. A couple of hours before landing we decided to try out the bar and went there to get a snack and an espresso martini to wake us up. The bar seating was busy so we chose to stand at one of the standing bars and enjoy our drinks. It was great to be able to walk around for a bit and stand fully upright (not near a toilet).
After our drink we went back to our seats and ordered a cup of tea and a biscuit to have before we landed. Landing was smooth and we were quickly off the plane and through immigration with our pre-filled landing passes. Although we went straight to baggage reclaim without having to wait anywhere our bags managed to beta us there and were on the carousel by the time we got there. We had pre-booked a taxi to take us to our hotel through the Emirates website as another perk of flying business class, and it worked really well. There was a lady waiting for us as we got to arrivals and she showed us to the lifts where we were greeted by our taxi driver who took us directly to the hotel. Our plane landed at 9.30pm and we were checking in at our hotel just after 10pm.
Although this had been our first experience of long haul business class I really hope it won’t be the last. The whole experience was amazing and made flying a doddle, in fact I rarely even thought that I was on a plane, I was just enjoying the experience so much. And the added perks like complimentary transfers, priority security, check-in and boarding, and express luggage (let alone the food, drinks and lounges) all make it worthwhile if you can afford it.
To see what we got up to in Singapore take look at our 10 things to do in a day in Singapore video.
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